By Ray Cardello for November 9, 2022 Season 14 / Post 17

The Midterms are behind us, and you would like a break from divisive politics. You want a hiatus from the barrage of negative political ads interrupting your favorite prime-time show, but I hate to tell you, you may not have your wish granted. The Midterms are the undercard in this marathon, and the General Election season starts today. The American game of politics is a 24/7, 365 season. Losers on Tuesday mull their next move, and winners launch their re-election campaign. Our elected officials do not legislate or lead; they run. The game comes down to money, and fundraising events fill the calendar.

Money is the ugly ingredient in the political game and is the major contributor to our cynicism about the process. The race for Senator in Pennsylvania between Lieutenant Governor Fetterman and Mehmet Oz shattered all records and is now the most costly election in history. Democrat John Fetterman, Republican Mehmet Oz, and their political allies have spent a combined $312 million on a race that could determine control of the Senate, according to OpenSecrets, a nonpartisan group that tracks money in politics.

Total spending on state and federal races during the 2022 midterm election cycle will exceed $16.7 billion, shattering the previous inflation-adjusted $13.7 billion spent four years ago, according to OpenSecrets estimates. Just think of the things that money could be spent on and make a positive impact on people.

I think most people would love to see a quieting of the rhetoric: a lot less name-calling and finger-pointing and a lot more cooperation and compromise would be welcome. We definitely could use a move towards the middle by the Trump Administration. Suppose he digs in his heels and continues to push for policies that assuage the Radical Left. In that case, he may surrender the White House to the Republicans in 2024 and possibly return Donald Trump to Washington.

One thing that I will be looking for is changes to this Administration. There has not been a single firing of any staff member, and the consensus is this may be the weakest Administration in recent history. Starting with the Press Secretary, that definitely took a hit when Jenn Psaki made her move to Cable. Karine Jeanne-Pierre has been a mess, and if the answer is not in her briefing book, she is lost off the cuff. Energy, Treasury, Transportation, and DHS all need upgrades. Even though some say Buttigieg is a possible Presidential candidate, his handling of the supply-chain issue shows otherwise.

Joe Biden wanted his Administration to mirror America, and he does have the most diverse team; unfortunately, they are the most inept. Biden has to think about his legacy, and after two years, he is the weakest President since Jimmy Carter. Biden’s ego will not settle for that, even if he will not remember his time in the White House. Joe also has to give up on any delusions of running for re-election. He has to concede he is a one-term President, which will weaken his last two years. That will also start a free-for-all for the Democrat slot on the 2024 ballot.

I am writing this as the polls are closing. The early returns mean nothing; it appears to be a late night and maybe beyond. I am pulling for a Red Wave, and perhaps we will have some interesting outcomes to discuss on Thursday.